China’s Isotope Abundance Reaches Up to 99.7%

Isotope Abundance Reaches Up to 99.7%! China Achieves Independent Supply of This Strategic Material

June 25, 2026, 10:54 | Beijing Daily Group

A press conference on high-abundance boron-10 isotope technology and industrialization achievements was held in Shandong Province, China, on June 23, marking the official commissioning of the world’s largest-capacity production facility for high-abundance boron-10 isotopes. The breakthrough ends overseas enterprises’ monopoly over core technologies and high-end markets for high-abundance boron-10 isotopes, filling the gap in critical materials required for China’s nuclear power, advanced medical and other key sectors.

Li Bin, Vice Chairman of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, commented: “The launch of this world’s largest high-abundance boron-10 isotope separation plant enables domestic independent control over this strategic material, and places China among a small group of countries with mastered large-scale production technologies for high-abundance boron-10 isotopes.”

Boron isotope separation has long posed a major technical challenge worldwide. Wu Gaosheng, Deputy Director of the Fine Chemicals Division at a chemical research institute, stated that his R&D team adopted an advanced chemical exchange process and made breakthroughs in three core technologies: complexation-exchange coupled enrichment, multi-stage high-efficiency precise cracking, and full-material recycling. These innovations address major engineering bottlenecks plaguing conventional processes, including low separation efficiency, severe equipment corrosion, frequent coking and blockage, and high unit consumption of raw materials, yielding fully self-developed proprietary technology.

Shang Zhaocong, General Manager of the chemical research institute, added: “The entire project—from design and construction to full-capacity operation of the hundred-ton-scale plant—was completed in just 18 months, with successful one-time startup. The facility has stably produced 25 tons of qualified product to date, with the maximum boron-10 isotope abundance hitting 99.7%, and there remains room for further enrichment improvement.”

Source: Science and Technology Daily           Author: Wang Yanbin